A Light That Never Goes Out
by Epically-ME
Summary: 20 years old, starting college while constructing a project that could no doubt change the world. Tadashi Hamada is a man with his eye on the future. But one day, everything changes, and his entire world is sent crashing down. He's not giving up though. In the end he still planned on helping a lot of people, and after all was said and done, finally get to reunite with his parents.
1. The Beginning

**_Categories_**_**: Angst, hurt/comfort, family and friendship.**_

**Trigger warning for anyone that may have lost someone important to them due to terminal illness.**

**This is a complete AU set before the events of the movie.**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter one: The beginning.<em>**

It started in the kitchen.

"Hiro, back up! I mean, seriously this is ridiculous!" The young college student wore a highly annoyed scowl on his face, twisting his torso as he held a bowl of brownie batter out of reach from his pestering little brothers hands. It was Sunday afternoon, and with the café being closed that day it was his job to bake some of the sweet treats for business time tomorrow. An easy task, one that shouldn't take nearly as long as it was. However it seemed like as soon as Tadashi stirred the last of the ingredients together, Hiro was on him like a moth to a flame, trying to stick his grimy little fingers into the bowl and disrupting him from his work.

"Oh come on Tadashi! It's just one taste don't be selfish!" The thirteen-year-old droned, a sugar-crazed gleam in his eye as he lunged for his target. Unfortunately, Tadashi was much taller than himself and easily kept the delicious container of raw chocolate goodness just far enough away. The older Hamada sibling balanced himself on one foot, using the other to keep Hiro at bay as he continued to stir the batter to its proper consistency.

"Hiro you already managed to swipe a taste when my back was turned," Tadashi replied in a dry tone of voice, "these are for tomorrow's customers and besides it _raw!_ You're not supposed to eat raw batter it'll make you sick!"

"But it tastes so goooood."

Tadashi's eyelids drooped into a less than amused expression, "You know its times like this when I ask myself how you managed to graduate high school _early,_" he deadpanned.

The youngest Hamada's eyebrows furrowed just before he stuck his bottom lip out in a pouting manner, all the while simultaneously making his eyes big and glossy, almost tearful.

_The look._

Most of the time it would serve its purpose of getting him what he wanted, and Hiro was quite proud that he's gotten to a point where he could easily manipulate his brother with a simple glance and bat of the eye. However, this time Tadashi held his ground, not even faltering at the soul penetrating gaze.

"Not happening bro," he said simply and Hiro frowned at his new found source of will power. "Now can you make yourself useful and hand me a baking sheet, please?"

Hiro groaned over-dramatically, booing at Tadashi before sauntering over to the cupboard that held the cooking supplies. He picked up a small stepping stool-considering the baking sheets were on the top shelf- before climbing up and stretching his arm out to grab it the tool in question.

Tadashi raised an eyebrow as he watched, "having trouble?" He asked with an amused grin.

"N-no I got it." A look of determination was on Hiro's face as the tips of his fingers just barely brushed past the edge of the pan. Even with the stool he wasn't tall enough to reach it, and it was clear the young teen was struggling.

"Here knucklehead I'll get it." Hiro sighed in defeat, accepting his short stature and taking a step down. Tadashi snickered as he walked over, handing his little brother the bowl before ruffling his hair, "You can have _one_ dip got it?" he told him, to which the boy nodded hover-excitedly. The college student snorted, rolling his eyes his brother's enthusiasm. Normally, Hiro was pretty mature for a kid his age, but bring sugar or sweets into the situation and suddenly he was a three-year-old again.

Tadashi kicked the stool aside, more than tall enough to reach the pan in question on his own. He grabbed it easily, pulling the pan from the shelf in one swift motion.

That's when the pain hit.

It was a sharp and impulsive, and Tadashi sucked in a breath of air as his head began to throb with an unforgiving amount of force. The young man let out a low, aching groan, screwing his eyes shut as he staggered backward. Metal clashed against the floor as he let go of what was in his hands, and if it wasn't for the fridge that was directly behind him he would of fell flat on his back.

"Whoa, Tadashi?! What's wrong?!" Hiro asked frantically, the brownie dough completely forgotten as he kneeled down to his fallen brother's level. "Tadashi?"

Even though he was consciously aware that he was right beside him, Hiro's voice felt like it was miles away from the twenty-year-old. It was as if someone dunked his head underwater, and no matter how hard he tried to focus his senses, his body wouldn't let him. "I… I…" he tried, only to gasp as another wave of pain seared through his skull. Tadashi scrunched his eyes even tighter now, biting the inside of his cheek as he tried to suppress a scream. The throbs were relentless, thumping in unison with the beat of his heart. "I'm... I'm fine," he finally muttered out, his words coming out slow and shallow. "It's just… it's just those headaches again, that's all." He held his hands to his temples, massaging them slowly as if trying suppress the agony. The action seemed to help some, and his eyes slowly fluttered open as the throbbing began to subside into subtle pulses. A relieved sigh escaped Tadashi's throat, but he felt his stomach knot a little as his eyes were met with Hiro's apprehensive expression.

He had been experiencing these sudden outbursts of migraines for about two weeks now and would usually brush them off, often popping in a few Advils and going on with his day. They were just headaches after all, and not too uncommon of a thing for someone who had just started college and was working his ass off every day to experience. However, they seemed to be getting worse these past couple of days or so and Hiro as well as Aunt Cass had been urging him to see a doctor about the problem before it got too unbearable.

Too late for that now.

"Tadashi this is getting out of hand," Hiro said, his voice now much more in focus than before, "Maybe you should see a-oh, I dunno what they call those guys that help you with health problems again? Oh yeah, a freaking doctor!"

The older brother snorted before carefully staggering to his feet, using the refrigerator to balance himself. "I'm fine Hiro really," he tried to reassure, "It's just a migraine no big deal. I'll take some-"

"No big deal?" Hiro interrupted, completely exasperated by Tadashi's stubbornness. "Dude, you just had some kind of episode! Stop being stupid and make a doctor's appointment!"

Tadashi raised questioning eyebrow, and the corner of his lips crinkled into a smirk. "Gee, that's pretty sound advise coming from someone who had to be dragged by the ankles in order to get to the dentist for a cavity last month."

Hiro's face flushed slightly, his cheeks turning into a rosy shade of pink. He cleared his throat while rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I, uh…"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Tadashi chuckled softly. Deep down he knew going to the doctor would probably be the best thing to do, although the ego that came with being a previous med student often convinced him otherwise. He was pretty confident that there was nothing anyone at a hospital could tell him that he couldn't figure out on his own, and all in all a doctor's appointment would just be a huge waste of time. But, seeing how distraught it made his brother, he decided it was finally time to face the music.

"Alright, fine knucklehead. I'll go, but only to get you to stop worrying about me," he said the last part in a cooing tone of voice, knowing very well Hiro despised when he did that.

The fourteen-year-old rolled his eyes, trying to fight back the heat in his cheeks.

"I'll go check out that clinic a up the block, tell Aunt Cass I'll be back in an hour tops, okay?" Tadashi ruffled his little brother's hair playfully, earning an annoyed grunt from the boy.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, swatting the larger hand away. "Just hurry up alright? The sooner you get back with a clean bill of health, the sooner I can start trying to give you grey hairs again."

Hiro let small smile part his lips as his brother laughed. He would never say it out loud, but he really was concerned for Tadashi. As annoying as it was at times, he was quite the health nut and hardly ever got sick. So to have these random outbursts well… it brought up some concerns.

Tadashi nodded before giving a quick wave goodbye and grabbing his set of keys from the café counter, confidence rolling off him as he walked out the door and mounted his moped. He started it up quick and easy, putting on his helmet before speeding of down the busy streets of San Fransokyo.

Little did Tadashi know that the news that would later be shared behind those hospital doors was going to change the course of his life forever…

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><p><strong>So i know this chapter isn't exactly angst, but i thought id give you guys some brotherly fluff before i TKO you in the feels later on.<strong>

**I'm just nice like that.**

**Anyway as you know i really value the opinion of my readers, so please be sure to leave a review or constructive criticism down below. =) let me know if you even think i should continue.**

**~thanks for reading~**


	2. Troubled Waters

_**AN *please read* H**_**_ey guys! so this might be THE most serious story iv ever done in my entire life. With that being said, i really want to clear some things up. Tadashi has a real disease that no doubt has effected people before, and i did a LOT of research on it. i'm trying my best to make everything from the emotion, symptoms and treatment options realistic, but i want to point out that not everything is going to be 100% on point. _**

**_I will most likely be tweaking certain things depending on how i want it to fit my story. So, if there are any medical professionals out there reading this, don't nark on me about that ^^"_**

**_ANYWAY! on to the _****_replies!_**

**teengens: _thanks so much, glad you think so! yes its a very tragic thing for anyone to go through. i actually lost both of my great-grandparents due to terminal diseases, so i really had to dig deep and put myself into this story. that being said, i certainly hope you brought those tissues because your probably going to need them. ;-;_**

**dragonridr55: i'm sorry, i'm afraid i cant fully say! not without spoiling everything at least ^_^**

**frostystuffs: Thank you! yes i really wanted to add to the touching relationship that Hiro and Tadashi have 3 and the gang will certainly be in the story, but in a much different way than the movie =)**

**GalacticTrooper954**: **T**_**hanks ^^ i hope you like this chapter as well.**_

**Sora Matasuk**i: _**your mind craves the angst lol X3 **_

_**alrighty guys! thanks so much for taking the time to read. hope you enjoy ~**_

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><p><em><strong> Chapter Two<strong>_

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><p>Tadashi sat in the waiting area of the small medical clinic, his thumbs swirling around each other in a circular motion as he watched nurse after nurse pass by.<p>

The young man sighed impatiently, yet another strange fluttering sensation passing through the lower part of his stomach. Tadashi bit the inside of his cheek, not quite sure where the sudden wave of uneasiness was coming from. He had been fine on the way here, fine as he signed himself in, and fine for the first half hour or so as he flipped through the boring magazines the waiting room provided. However, the minutes soon began to feel like hours and it seemed like even the simplest flickers of movement or even the subtlest of noises sent anxious twitches through his fingers ears and toes.

Whether it was the annoying sound of sneakers squeaking on the tile floor, the seemingly louder than necessary ringing of the receptionist's phone or even the simple ticking of the clock mounted on the wall above his head.

It was beyond annoying.

Tadashi Leaned the back of his head against the wall, closing his eyes and silently hoping that a quick rest would help ease the uninvited tension.

But alas, that didn't last very long.

"Hi!"

Moaning from being woken up from his millisecond of relaxation, Tadashi lazily opened an eye to see a small girl, no older than five or so, sitting in the seat next to him. A smile played across her lips as her bright and youthful eyes stared eagerly into his own.

Tadashi couldn't help but tilt his head as he made note of the child's appearance. Her skin was pale, exceedingly pale actually, the only true color coming from the rosy glow in her cheeks. He also noticed her hair was cut in a rather short style for someone so young, and he couldn't help but wonder why.

"Oh, um, Hello," He greeted back with a sheepish grin of his own. The young man straightened his back slightly, his spine popping in protest to the movement. _Man, these chairs are uncomfortable_, He inwardly hissed.

"I'm Marcy!" The girl introduced with an eager bounce as she fiddled with a small book of stickers in her hand. "So why are you here? I've never seen you before, are you sick? Are you gonna get a shot? Ohhh or one of those x-ray thingies? Also, I like you, you're really cute!"

Tadashi blinked, not quite sure how to respond to the rapid attack of questions and the quite embarrassing-borderline inappropriate- compliment. "Uh, t-thanks." The man found himself rubbing the back of his neck as the girl started to giggle, obviously enjoying the faint yet evident blush creeping to his cheeks, "Nice to meet you Marcy. Uh, I'm, Tadashi."

the child-Marcy- grinned again, revealing a set of missing front teeth that the man didn't seem notice before. "My mama said that I'm here for my checkup. Whatta' bout you?"

The twenty-year-old couldn't help the way his eyebrows furrowed slightly with concern. It wasn't that he had anything against talking with the child, in fact, she was actually doing a good job at distracting his brain from the annoyingly nervous state it was previously in. Although, being the mother hen that he was, it slightly worried him that she was so openly willing to engage in conversations like that. Besides receptionists and the occasional nurse that passed by, Tadashi didn't see anyone else in the waiting room. Meaning, if he was a creep or a kidnapper of some sort, it wouldn't have taken much to grab her and bolt out of there.

"I guess you can say I'm here for a checkup too," He said honestly as he kept his senses alert and a protective look out for the child's family.

A flicker of excitement then passed through Marcy's eyes, "Cool!" she exclaimed, her fist balled in a strange amount of enthusiasm. "A lot of people are scared of this place. But not me! I like it here. They give you candy if you're good and they let you go potty in a cup!"

Tadashi smirked, already figuring that this kid didn't really have a filter on that mouth of hers. Not the little kids were known for having filters but still.

"Are you scared?" She asked him suddenly, earning a slight shift from the young man.

Tadashi let the air out of his cheeks as he leaned his elbow comfortably on the armrest of the chair, "Um..." he hesitated for a moment, not wanting to lie to the child but not wanting to seem like a big baby in front of her either. "Not so much scared as a bit… nervous," he admitted, a sheepish smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Marcy flashed a kind, almost understanding look before suddenly pulling off a red, heart-shaped sticker from her book. "Here! You can have this," she said as she placed it against the back of Tadashi hand, smoothing it over with her fingers in order to make sure it stuck properly. "It's my lucky one, it'll help you to not be so scared no more."

A look of genuine fondness found its way onto his features, and Tadashi grinned, opening his mouth to say his thanks when a voice cut him off.

"MARCY!" a loud feminine voice called out, practically shaking the walls.

Tadashi veered his head just in time to see a middle aged woman storm in the waiting area, wearing an expression both anger and relief. She sighed heavily, quickly picking up the child and squeezing her in tight embrace.

"Marcy what on earth! I told you to stay in the room, you had us worried sick!" The woman -most likely her mother- softened her features in the slightest, patting the child down as if making sure she didn't have any injuries.

"I'm sorry, mama," Marcy apologized as she bit her bottom lip in shame.

Tadashi couldn't help the smirk that parted his lips as he remembered Hiro often giving him that same look whenever he got in trouble back when he was little (sometimes even to this day to be honest.) No matter how horrible the situation was, all his little brother would have to say _"I'm sorry"_ in that obnoxiously adorable baby voice of his and suddenly Tadashi couldn't even remember what he was upset about in the first place.

He usually criticized himself for being so weak willed, but more often than not just accepted it as one of the many curses that came with being an older sibling.

Rolling her eyes, the woman pursed her lips in annoyance as she brushed a strain of black wavy from her face. "I know you are. But don't EVER do that again, do you understand me?" She then turned her attention toward Tadashi, as if just now noticing he was present in the room. "I'm so sorry, I really hope she didn't bother you too much," She flashed him a sincere look of apology, balancing Marcy better on her hip.

"No, no honestly its fine," he reassured, waving off the accusation, "She was actually doing quite the opposite really."

"Yeah!" Marcy suddenly chipped in, not too appreciative of being talked about as a bother. She then pointed over to Tadashi, her annoyed expression all of the suddden replaced with a more animated one. "Mama, this is my new friend tad-dad-dashi! I gave him my lucky sticker so he won't be scared of the doctor no more! Isn't it cool?"

Her mother smiled, and once again Tadashi felt heat prickle his cheeks. "It's um, _Tadashi_ actually," he corrected with a light-hearted chuckle.

"Mr. Hamada?"

Tadashi veered his attention in the direction to which his name was called from. A young blond woman in bright colored scrubs stood in the doorway of the waiting room, a clipboard held firmly in her hand. "The doctor will see you know," She said kindly.

"Guess I'm up." Sighing, Tadashi stood from uncomfortable seat, straightening out his stiff limbs as he did so. He turned, giving Marcy and her mother a small smile and a wave goodbye, which they politely returned.

"G'luck tad-dashi!" Marcy called, and the smile on twenty year old's face never wavered as he followed the nurse down the long narrow hallway.

His nervous feeling long forgotten.

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><p>The nurse escorted Tadashi into one of the larger rooms, telling him to take a seat and that the doctor would be in shortly. He nodded his thanks before hopping onto the examine table, the old cushions expressing weird noises as he did so. Tadashi kicked his feet back and forth patiently as he took some time to study the space he was in. It was painted a baby blue, and animated wallpaper was plastered on the border of the ceiling. The twenty year old snickered, feeling a bit silly in a room no doubt designed for children.<p>

Just then, a loud knock was heard and almost immediately after a woman entered, baring a stethoscope over her neck and a clipboard in hand. She was an older gal, probably in her mid-fifties or so, and she wore a head of shiny black hair that was cut in short, perfectly symmetrical bob.

The woman smiled at him, pushing her thick frames further up the bridge of her nose. "Hello Mr. Hamada," she greeted in a slight accent, which Tadashi categorized it as being German. She did a quick once over to the man, a slight smirk pulling at her lips as she caught a glance of the red sticker place ever so carefully on his hand.

Realizing that she had noticed, Tadashi blushed as he raked his fingers through his thick head of hair. "Uh, it was a gift from a friend," he explained, unconsciously hiding the hand in question in his pants pocket.

"No need to explain darling," she smirked, "Now allow me to introduce myself, I am Dr. Edna Mode. Vat seems to be the problem this evening?"

Tadashi cleared his throat a little before speaking, "Um, well these past few weeks I've been having these really bad headaches," he began, tapping his fingers against the table as he explained. "Usually they're pretty bearable, but here recently-like today, for example, they have been really bad."

Edna nodded, jotting his words on her clipboard as he spoke. Tadashi continued to explain his symptoms to her, making sure not to leave out anything that may be important. He told her how moment he would be fine, and the next it felt like his brain had had enough of him and was trying to break out of his skull. He explained his weird clumsiness, and how he normally prided himself on being quite the coordinated human being, but recently had been tripping over his own feet.

Literally.

He wasn't sure if the headaches had anything to do with that, but it was driving him and his family to the brink of insanity. Even poor Mochi seemed to have had enough, often avoiding the man in order to save his chances at being stepped on.

"Interesting…" Dr. Mode hummed, clicking her pen in thought. "Alright. I'm going to do some tests and then we will go from there alright?"

Tadshi nodded, and Edna soon began to perform the basic medical tests on the twenty year old. She took his blood pressure, checked his eyes, ears and throat for any redness or other irregularities, she even did that weird knee reflex thing.

Everything seemed to check out.

Edna removed the stethoscope from around her neck, plugging the small buds into her ears. "Let's take a listen to that heart of yours, hmm?" The woman placed the flat end of the device over his chest, instructing the young man to breathe in deeply.

"Now out," She told him.

And so he breathed out.

"Well Mr. Hamada," the doctor began, taking the buds from her ears and placing the medical device on the table. "Everything seems to be alright. Your blood pressure is normal, and I don't hear anything irregular with your lungs or heart. You seem to be quite tip top shape young man."

Tadashi's eyebrows furrowed. Although it was good news, this information slightly bugged him. "But… I don't understand. There's nothing that can explain these weird headaches?"

"Well headaches aren't too uncommon for a man in your position," she explained, "In your file, you stated that you have just started college correct? Sometimes these are just due to major stress or late night cram session as the kids call them. However the loss of balance you mentioned earlier does concern me." she glanced down for a moment, writing more things down on her clipboard before returning her attention back toward the man. "How about we schedule you for an MRI? It will take some detail photos of your body and allow us to take a better look at your system."

Tadashi looked a bit skeptical at first, but knowing it was best to get all of this out of the way, he found himself nodding in agreement. "Um, sure. I suppose that would be alright."

"Excellent. Follow me please," Edna said quickly, and with that Tadashi unenthusiastically followed her out the door.

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><p>If there was one thing in life that Tadashi Hamada didn't enjoy, it was being in small or tight spaces. That being said, he really hoped that the MRI wasn't going to take too much time. Taking a deep breath, Tadashi laid on the small table, keeping his arms tucked by his side as he tried to relax and let the machine did its job. A humming sound was heard and the table slowly began to move him deeper into the narrow, circular part of the devise until nothing but his legs and part of his torso stuck out in the open.<p>

Tadashi breathed in slowly as a loud, fast paced, whirling noise radiated from the machine, thankful that it was being slightly drowned out by the ear plugs he was given. As he continued to lay there, keeping his breathing as leveled as possible, he couldn't help but think how much easier things would be if one could be scanned for injuries in a matter of seconds. No fuss. No loud noises. And definitely no claustrophobic induced spaces…

After the procedure was done, Dr. Mode instructed that Tadashi head back into the examine room, telling him she would be back soon with the results. He did as he was told, and obediently waited for her to return. However, once again time seemed to have it out for him, and decided to pass by at an exceeding slow pace. Heaving an impatient sigh, Tadashi laid down on the examine table, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

How long has he even been here now? An hour? Two? He didn't even know anymore. The whole trip was taking longer than expected, and the young man expressed yet another sigh, eager to hurry and get home.

Just then, his ear twitched at the sound of a doorknob being rattled, causing him to quickly sat in a sitting position.

Soon, Edna entered the room, a tall man following in shortly after her. The corners of Tadashi's lips suddenly crumbled into a slight frown, taking in their expressions. Despite their obvious attempts to hide it, the twenty-year-old could see a disturbing amount of worry swimming in their eyes, instantly sending a weird tremble down his spine.

"Hello Mr. Hamada," the man introduced, flashing the young patient a weak smile. He was tall, dark, and lean; neatly trimmed facial hair claiming his narrow jawline. "I'm Lucius. Lucius Best. One of the head doctors here in the San Fransokyo medical clinic." Much like Dr. Edna, his voice was that of someone kind and genuine, although unlike the woman, there something else in his tone that Tadashi couldn't quite place.

"Um, Hi," Tadashi replied, slight hesitation in his voice.

"Now it has been brought to my attention that you have been experiencing migraines?" the doctor questioned him with a rather stern look in his eyes.

Tadashi gave a quick glance over to Edna, whose gaze seemed too distant for comfort. "Um, yes. Yes, that's correct."

"Have you been undergoing any other symptoms? I am aware of your dizziness, but anything else? Any trouble with your hearing or vision? Sensory loss? seizers or-"

"What? n-no! I haven't dealt with any of that," Tadashi said quickly, pure confusion settling onto his features. "What's the problem? Did you guys find something wrong with the MRI results?" he dreaded asking, knowing very well never to ask a question if you weren't fully prepared for the answer.

Both doctors shared a quick look with one another, and a moment of uncomfortable silence fell. Sighing, it was Lucius who finally stepped forward. He strolled over to an older looking computer that sat on a desk in the corner of the room, quickly powering it on and pulling up a large photo.

"These are yours Mr. Hamada," he said. His voice had turned stoic as he pointed to a negative light photograph; It was of a brain, his brain to be more specific, and Tadashi squinted as he examined it more closely. He had seen had seen CT, MRI, as well as X-ray scans of the brain countless times before, and it was fairly easy to determine whether or not there was anything anomalous going on with one. Everything looked fine with his except for one thing…

"What is this right here?"

The photo consisted of an area of gray blank space, however, there was a small section of white that seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. Tadashi traced over it carefully with his finger, suddenly swallowing the lump that he wasn't even aware had formed in his throat. He had seen it before, in the medical books he used to read. Though he never thought he would see it in person, much less in his own MRI results.

"We believe… we believe it is a tumor Mr. Hamada. The Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor to be exact, or PNET for short."

Tadashi immediately felt his heart clench in his chest, and everything spoken after the word tumor was lost in a tangled blur. He blinked, his brain registering the words in slow motion as if the doctor had said them in some kind of foreign language.

_Tumor…_

The simple five letter word circled in his mind, replaying it over and over and over again. The young man let out a heavy breath of air, just realizing that he was holding his breath.

"Wh…what?" was all that he managed to stammer out. He didn't understand. He didn't believe it. Either that or he just didn't want to.

He felt fine. How could he have a tumor if he felt completely, utterly, ridiculously fine?

"It's a very rare disease," Lucius continued, although the twenty year old couldn't muster the strength to tear his eyes away from the floor. "It's commonly found in young children, but is also known to affect those who are twenty five and under."

Tadashi was aware that the doctor was speaking to him. He could hear his words, even though they felt distant and muffled. As if he was speaking from miles away rather than right next to him.

_How did this happen? When did this happen? Had he always had this and didn't even know it? _

The questions swam around in his head at an extremely fast speed, so much so he felt like the world was spinning around him. A shaky sigh escaped his throat, and the man bit his lower lip, feeling a pinch before the taste of copper washed over his tongue.

"What does this mean?" he asked suddenly. His voice was calm, so calm that he actually scared himself. He glanced over to the doctor, and it was clear by his mid-open mouth that Tadashi had just interrupted him. Tadashi didn't care though. He needed the question answered. Now.

"W- we don't know for sure, but-"

"Yes, you do," Tadashi interrupted once again, his eyes slightly narrowing. He didn't need them to beat around the bush. He didn't need procrastinations. He just needed them to tell him the truth, even if he partly knew it already.

"You said PNET, correct? I studied that disease before," the young college student's anger was slowly making itself known, and the doctors shifted slightly underneath his gaze. There was a quick moment of silence, and it was actually Edna who had spoken next.

"Yes," she answered simply, and Tadashi could tell it took everything not to tear her stare away from his own.

"Well then we all know that it's…" the college student hesitated for a moment, the words forming at the edge of his lips. It was like a swear word, and Tadashi wasn't sure if he wanted to let it out. "That its terminal," He finally finished.

A pressure built against Tadashi's chest as the two doctors nodded in unison. "So let me ask again. What does this mean for me?" he repeated, "what can I do, what are my options?" Tadashi was screaming on the inside. His emotions were clawing at his chest, begging to get out. He was angry, confused, scared. So unbelievably scared. He wanted to screech at the doctors, yell at them and tell them to stop being idiots and tell him the truth. Tell him that he wasn't going to make it… that he was going to…

Tadashi shook the thought from his head.

No.

There was still hope, right?

There was always hope.

He just had to look at a different angle.

"Well Mr.-"

"Tadashi. Please, just call me Tadashi," he practically begged, suddenly tired of the formality.

Dr. Mode blinked, surprise flickering in her eyes. "Well Tadashi… surgery is always an option but…"

"But what?"

Lucius suddenly put a hand on the woman's shoulder, giving her a soft look. He stepped forward, gesturing to take another look at the ever present computer screen. "You see Mr. H-Tadashi. The tumor is placed in a very tricky location. Surgery is an option but given the placement and size it would be extremely risky. We could try, but even if we were able to survive the operation, we are not one hundred percent sure that it would remove the cancer that it's already planted in your system."

Tadashi swallowed thickly again, his eyes beginning to burn with held back tears. So that was it? He was just doomed either way?

"H-how long do I have?" Tadashi asked, his voice suddenly shaking. He wrapped his arms around himself as a sudden chill went through his spine.

Lucius' face fell slightly, his eyes shifting. "We don't have to discuss that just yet-"

"YES WE DO!" in that moment something clicked within the man, and Tadashi found himself hurling his fist violently into the wall. The weak drywall crumbled away at the force, leaving a small hole in its place. His chest heaving, Tadashi removed his slightly bloody hand before sinking to the floor, burying his face in his palms as he did. "Yes, we do…"

Just like that, his feeling of rage was gone. He wasn't sure how to describe the emotion that replaced it, but it was no longer anger. It wasn't grief, it wasn't worry, hell he wasn't even sure if it was fear.

He just felt empty, and void.

Numb.

That was it. That's how he would describe it.

Perfectly and undeniably numb.

The doctors didn't understand. He needed answers. He needed to know how much longer he had to be here. How much time he had left with his friends, his family… with Hiro. Oh god Hiro. Tadashi felt his stomach lurch. He screwed his eyes shut, resisting the urge to throw is stomach contents onto the floor. He couldn't leave his brother. not his _otouto_. It had only been ten years since they both lost their parents, and Tadashi had promised he would take care of him. His brother needed him. He needed him…

Murmurs and the quick shuffling of feet were heard. It wasn't long before Tadashi felt a solid hand on his shoulder, and he reluctantly removed his face from his palms to see Dr. Best staring at him with a kind yet sorrowful eyes.

"Listen to me, son," he said, his tone that of a patient father, "this is a lot to take in for one day you hear me? There's so many unanswered questions, and we don't want to give you the answers until we're one hundred percent sure of what we are working with. Me and Edna want you to come back here in a few days, okay? We'll take some more scans, preform some more test and then we can move from there."

He removed his hand from his shoulder, and Tadashi glanced over to see Dr. Mode, bring over a small patch of gauze. The twenty year old sniffed, extending his hand and wincing a bit as he allowed her to patch it up.

"You're a good man Tadashi, and I can tell you have a big heart. We're not sure why these things happen, but there's no doubt in my mind that we can get you through this." Lucius helped the young man to his feet, giving him a reassuring rub on the back. Tadashi didn't even realize just how comforting the motion was until it stopped.

The twenty year grinned weakly at the two doctors, "Thank you…" he said, his voice so soft that he barely even heard it himself. Tadashi bit the inside of his cheek, guilt sinking into him as his eyes settled on the small hole in the wall. "I-I'm really sorry about that. I promise I'll pay for it, I-"

Lucius instantly signaled him to stop, "Eh, I can be pretty clumsy sometimes. If anyone asks, it won't take much for me to convince them that I tripped," The older man winked at Tadashi, a genuine smile tugging at his lips.

Tadashi let out a sigh that was somewhere in between relived and exhausted, extending and shaking a hand with the older man. "Thanks again. I...i really appreciate everything."

"It's not a problem son. Now listen, I want you to take this," Lucius quickly pulled a pen from his jacket pocket, writing something down on a small piece of paper. "It's a perception. Take these pills once a day, every day and it should help you with those headaches."

Tadashi nodded, taking the paper and putting it safely in his pocket. He thanked both of the doctors once again, telling them that he would be back for the follow up appointment before turning to make his leave.

The twenty year strolled out of the room and down the long hallways. The clinic was much busier now, though he somehow managed to dodge the ongoing patients and nurses without a conscious thought. It felt like his body was on some kind of autopilot, and his mind was merely sitting back and enjoying the ride. Well _enjoying_ wouldn't really be the word he would use.

Once again, he wasn't quite sure how to pinpoint the emotion he was feeling. The anger was gone, well not gone, but it had subsided. The fear and sadness had also taken a back seat. Even the numbness dwindled for the moment. He didn't quite understand why he was like he was. He knew he should be mad at the world. Should be screaming his head off and cursing at a god he wasn't even sure existed. But he didn't want to that. Honestly, he didn't know what he wanted anymore.

Tadashi sighed, picking up his prescription at the front desk before walking outside and taking a seat on the concrete steps. He looked up, noticing that even the clouds seemed unsure of their emotions. Part of the sky being a deep angry gray, while the other radiated the beautiful pinkish glow of the setting sun.

The young man pulled his legs closer forward, resting his head on his knees. The day certainly didn't go as expected, and much like his new found disease, burning questions soon sneaked their way into his mind, unwelcomed.

What was he going to tell his family? How was he going to tell his family?

_Was_ he going to tell his family?

Tadashi swallowed hard. No. no, he couldn't tell them just yet. There was so much that he still didn't know, so much that he still needed to figure out. They didn't need this burden, not right now.

He would tell them when the time was right, and when he got all the pieces to the puzzle. But as of right now, this was his weight to carry.

With his decision made, Tadashi glanced at his still stinging hand, taking in the small specks of blood that stained the gauze. He grinned weakly, noticing that his heart sticker was still visible.

"Thanks kid," he said to no one in particular, "I could really use some luck right now."

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><p><strong><em>Okay guys please be honest, should i continue this? if you think so, please leave me your thoughts in a review.<em>**

**_p.s anyone catch the special guests that appeared in this chap...? ;3_**


	3. Candle In The Fog

_**Hey guys! thanks so much for the feedback last chapter ^^ your kind words mean a lot to me and given your responses, i decided to continue =)**_

_**The first part of this chapter kinda sorta destroyed me ;-; and i have no clue why i did this to myself...**_

_**apparently i like pain.**_

_***edit 1/29/15* hey guys. Im sorry if anyone keeps getting double notifications for this chapter ;-; I don't no if its the site or my computer but im having some technical difficulties here :/**_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Three<strong>_

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><p>The ride back home from the clinic was pretty much nonexistent for the emotionally drained twenty years old, his mind being rather blank for the entire drive. In all honesty, he wasn't even fully sure how he managed to get all the way home without any casualties. Had he run that stop sign? Sped through that red light? Tadashi didn't even know, and strangely enough, he wasn't sure if he cared either.<p>

Needless to say, he got back later than he was originally hoping, and the exhaustion hit him full force the moment he stepped foot in the doors of the cafe. As expected, his loving family of two was awaiting him eagerly, wondering how the appointment went if everything checked out okay. It was the dreaded question he had tried to prepare himself for the entire trip back, and seeing the genuine concern in both his aunt's and little brother's eyes just made the decision to keep things under wraps all the more difficult.

With a deep breath Tadashi put on the biggest smile he could muster, which honestly wasn't big at all, before telling them that all was fine and he was merely tired and just needed some rest.

Tadashi hated lying. Hated it with every fiber of his being. It made his stomach knot and his heart clench, even going to the extremes of making him physically nauseous sometimes. However, he knew it was the best thing for now and was just thankful that his family took in his words and obviously tired demeanor, letting him to saunter up to his bedroom without any more questions.

He could see their skeptical looks as he turned to make his leave, which instantly made his gut lurch with regret. But he pushed past the troubled feeling, continuing to move slowly but surely up the stairs and into his shared space in the attic. Once there, it took no time at all to strip out of his clothes, discarding the pieces of fabric into the hamper before making his way to the bathroom. Tadashi quickly turned on the shower, the older metal knob squeaking in protest as he twisted it the hottest temperature. As hot as he could take it anyway.

Dense steam began to fill the small space and the twenty year old breathed in deeply, allowing it to gently relax his tense muscles. He leaned over the bathroom counter, using his hand to wipe away the smog that started form on the large rectangular mirror. To his distaste, Tadashi could see small yet evident bags forming under his tired eyes. The sight was enough to earn a sigh from the young man, and he couldn't help but wonder if the disease planted within his body was already starting to take its toll. He never was a firm believer of sayings such as '_what you don't know can't hurt you_,' and if anything he was usual against them. However, now he couldn't help but think twice about that statement. Tadashi only found out what was happening mere hours ago, and yet here he stood in front of his bathroom mirror, feeling like his body was already quitting on him.

What would have happened if he never went to the doctor? If they never told him, would he be feeling the way he feels now? Or would he be able to go on with his life the way he has been? Knowing just how dangerous they were, Tadashi quickly pushed the questions away. Sliding back the baby blue curtains, the twenty year old carefully stepped into the shower, allowing the hot water to caress his slightly muscular form.

After his quick rinse off, Tadashi dried off and dressed in his normal sleeping attire before practically collapsing into the plush comfort of his mattress. He wrapped himself in his silk covers tightly, letting the cool wind and the pale moonlight wash over him through the window blinds above his head.

The college student sighed as he nuzzled deeper into his pillow, wanting so bad for sleep to claim him. Although as exhausted as he was; physically, mentally or otherwise, his mind was keeping him awake.

Minus his slight outburst at the clinic earlier, Tadashi had stayed frighteningly calm throughout the day. Although now, left with nothing but his thoughts, he couldn't seem to hold back his emotions any longer and before he knew it, Tadashi felt hot tears streaming down his face. The young man futilely tried to choke back a sob, and curling himself up into a tight ball he buried his face deeper into his pillow as to drown out the noise.

Tadashi screwed his eyes shut, tears now blurring his vision. He hated the hopeless feeling that washed over him. He had felt it only once before, and that was when he was a mere child. That cold, empty, feeling of hopelessness he felt when those doctors told him his parents hadn't survived the car crash.

He promised himself he would never let anything make him feel that way again.

But as he curled tighter into himself, choking back his cries, he was sure that if someone held up a mirror he would see that frightened ten year old boy from all those years ago staring right back at him.

Tadashi let out a shaky breath, his sobs lessening into muffled sniffs. He felt pathetic, and there was nothing more that he wanted than to slip off into sleep, and escape the painful reality of the day.

Even if it was only for a few hours.

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><p>"<em>5…4…3…2…1! Ready or not, here I come!"<em>

_Hiro laid still and quiet underneath the bed. His breathing low and shallow, trying his best not to make any noise. The child bit his lip as he heard the distinct patter of his brother's footsteps on the wood floors. He was close. But Hiro was more than confident in his hiding abilities, and there was no way that Tadashi would ever find him in such a perfect, amazing totally awesome hiding spot-_

"_Gotcha!" Hiro let out at startled yelp as his brother's face suddenly peeked from underneath the frame of the bed, a smug grin playing across his lips. Childish laughter soon filled the room, and next thing Hiro knew he was being dragged by in ankles and out into the open._

"_No fair! How did you know I was here!" the youngest of the brother's whined._

_Tadashi merely shrugged, pinning Hiro down by the arms. "Next time make sure your feet are under the bed too, smart one." _

"_You cheated!"_

"_How is that cheating?" Tadashi questioned, an amused eyebrow raised, "come on just face it bro, I'm the ultimate hide and seek champion."_

_Hiro's narrowed slightly and opened his mouth to retort, however, he barely got a word out before he felt something wet vibrating along his ribs. "HAHAHA WAIT DASHI STOP! THAT TICKLES!" the child laughed as his brother suddenly began blowing raspberries on his tender stomach. _

"_That's the point knucklehead," Tadashi responded playfully, his own giggles almost matching his brother's. The toddler tried to wiggle his way out the older sibling's strong grip, however it was no use. The assault on his tummy and rib cage continued, and Hiro almost found himself gasping for air. _

"_HA-NO-STOOOP! HAHAHA!"_

"_First, you have to say I'm the best big brother in the world."_

"_N-NEVER!"_

_Another wave of the horrible tickling feeling coursed through Hiro's sides. _

"_OKAY, OKAY FINE! DASHI IS THE BEST BROTHER EVER NOW LEMME GO!"_

_Tadashi immediately ceased his tickling, and Hiro rolled to the side, his chest heaving heavily. _

"_That…was…jus'…mean…" Hiro said through tired pants. Laughter was Tadashi's only response, and a comfortable silence filled the room as he allowed Hiro a moment to catch his breath._

"_Hey dashi…" Hiro spoke suddenly as he turned to his brother's direction. Tadashi glanced at Hiro from the side as he leaned his back against the dresser in their shared bedroom. _

"_What's up Hiro?" he asked, an eyebrow raised._

_Hiro hesitated for a moment. His face seemed to fall in the slightest and Tadashi noticed him biting his lip as if contemplating whether or not he should speak. _

"_It's just… are we always going to be like this? You and me I mean."_

_Tadashi's eyebrows furrowed, concern slightly washing over him. "What do you mean, Hiro? Why would you ask that?_

"_I just mean… I really like hanging out with you like this and stuff. And I just wanna know if we're gonna stay like this forever, or if you just gonna leave me. Like mom and dad did…" the child's gaze suddenly met the floor, a rather sad expression replacing his previously joyful one._

_Biting the inside of his cheek, Tadashi felt his heart tighten in his chest. He didn't want his brother thinking like that, although part of him did understand. Ever since the passing of their parents, Hiro had been clingy and insecure as if Tadashi was going to disappear unless he was with him at every moment._

_The oldest Hamada brother quickly turned to his sibling, placing a hand under his small chin and forcing his eyes to meet his own. "Don't ever say stuff like that okay, Hiro?" Tadashi said sternly. "I'm your brother. And I will always be with you no matter what."_

_Hiro looked at him sadly, not entirely convinced. "Promise?" the child held his pinky out, knowing very well that his brother's word was practically law._

_Tadashi smiled, curling his pinky around Hiro's much smaller one. _

"_I promise."_

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><p>"Um… Tadashi…?"<p>

"Hmm…"

"Come one, it's time to get up…"

"Hnnnnyng…

Hiro nudged his passed out sibling in the shoulder roughly, a sly grin plastering his face as he took in the slobber stain on his pillow. "Have I ever told you how disgusting you are when you sleep Tadashi? I mean seriously you're drooling up a puddle."

Tadashi only groaned in response to his brother's teasing, unconsciously wiping away at the corners of his mouth before turning the other way and pulling a blanket over his head. Like the bundle of cloth was some kind of impenetrable noise barrier. "Jus' lemme be," he whined, curling up into a tight ball.

Partly out of amusement and partly out of annoyance, the youngest Hamada rolled his eyes. Normally Tadashi was always the first to get up in the house, often claiming that a productive day is a good day. In fact he was usually the one that had to drag Hiro's limp body out of bed in the morning, and with that being said, it was highly suspicious to see the older Hamada brother still in asleep at this hour. Especially with his first class at "nerd school" starting soon.

Hiro pursed his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that SFIT was pretty much the most important thing in the world to Tadashi, it being pretty much all he would talk about the first week of getting his acceptance letter. He immediately went and bought all the books he needed, as well attended pretty much all the orientation classes despite them not even being mandatory. Hiro didn't really understand why his brother would choose to break his back going to some snooty college, however, he did understand that it was important to him. And he wasn't about to let Tadashi mess anything up by choosing today of all days to start sleeping in.

So, with a new found determination, Hiro pounced onto the pile of flesh that refused to budge from its sleeping quarters, effectively earning a startled yelp from him in the process.

Tadashi's eyes immediately shot open on impact, groaning irritably as he felt an extra hundred pounds of weight digging into his sides. "HIRO! Ugh for the love of-what are you doing?!"

"Trying to wake you up," Hiro responded with a cheeky smile, "did it work?"

Tadashi shot his brother an ice cold stare before covering his face with his pillow, "Go. Away." he murmured, although his words were stifled and barely understandable.

"What was that? Sorry, I can't understand your weird zombie-pillow speech bro."

Silence was the only response.

Hiro rolled his eyes before removing himself off of his brother, earning a slight grunt from him as he did so. "Gee, so this is how I get treated for trying to be a good brother for once?" Hiro mused as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Tadashi didn't so much as move, earning an unbelieving snort from the younger boy. "Fine, stay in bed. Just don't blame when you get kicked out of nerd college for being late one the first-"

"Wait, what?!" Tadashi immediately sat in a sitting position as the word _late_ hit his ears.

Hiro frowned a little, his brother's pillow shield being thrown to the floor by all the movement, presenting his panicked features. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and the bags underneath them were even more alarming. Not to mention what looked to be… tear stains on his cheeks?

"What's today?" Tadashi questioned frantically, his chest heaving slightly as he threw the covers off his body.

"Um… Monday…"

"And what time is it?!"

"10:30…"

"WHAT?! Crap… crap! Crap! Crap! My robotics class starts at eleven!"

Tadashi all but lunged out of bed, tripping over stray clothes and toys in the process. The young man swore at himself as he quickly rummaged through his drawers, grabbing his usual clothes and before dressing himself at a desperate pace. How could he forget this day? Out of all days! It was the most important-

That's when the sudden flicker of a translucent orange bottle caught his attention.

Seemingly Simple and unsuspecting to most people, yet to Tadashi it was just a rude reminder of what he had hoped to be a dream. Time stilled, and He swallowed thickly as he picked up the bottle with slightly shaky hands. The young man stared at it intently like it was some kind of foreign object, and he could feel his stomach drop as full remembrance of the previous day soon began replaying in his head.

His mind was apparently cruel in more ways than one, and had taken upon itself to make a reality to which none of the events from last night actually happened. It led him to believe that it was all just a dream, a dark, twisted figment of his imagination and that everything was normal and well.

But it wasn't.

It had happened.

And he was still sick.

Putting the bottle down, Tadashi sighed, taking a moment to rake his fingers through his hair before continuing to get dressed.

"Tadashi?"

Hiro's voice rang out like a siren in the night, snapping Tadashi, who had honestly forgotten his little brother was even in the room, back into focus.

The older brother swallowed the tight lump in his throat as he slipped over his favorite cardigan. "What's up bud?" he asked his younger sibling, trying to make his voice sound as calm and leveled as possible. Tadashi turned to see Hiro staring at him with worried yet skeptical eyes.

"Are… are you sure you okay?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest, "You've been acting kind of weird. Even more so than usual."

Tadashi snorted at that, a crooked smile playing across his lips. Apparently no amount of worry can downplay his little brother's sarcastic humor. "I'm fine, Hiro. Still just a bit tired is all." He reassured, moving forward to ruffle his sibling wild hair.

Hiro was quicker this time, though, and dodged the assault easily before Tadashi could even lay a finger on him. "Yeah, I know, you said that yesterday," Hiro retorted. His tone wasn't harsh, but there was enough gruff to it to earn a slight look of shock from the older Hamada. Hiro glanced at his feet for a moment, suddenly unable to meet Tadashi's eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just… are you sure? I mean you never even told us what happened, and I know how you are Tadashi. You could have a fever with the temperature of the surface of the sun and still try to pass off as being just fine."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Tadashi blushed slightly, knowing very well that His brother was referring to the many times he tried to downplay his illnesses. He was stubborn in that way, always thinking that he was invincible and could overpower any sickness with a determined frame of mind. One time being just before he graduated high school; He had a temperature of 104, and still got up and still dragged his ass to school like he normally would. After all, it was his job as an older brother to ensure the importance of school attendance, especially since both he and Hiro were attending the same high school at the time. Tadashi had barely made it past first period when he suddenly found himself in the nurse's office. He wasn't sure how or when he got there, but according to the conversation he overheard between the nurse and Aunt Cass, he fell out in the middle of the hallway.

Hiro sighed, looking up for a moment as he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. His older brother stared down at him with a reassuring amount of warmth, cracking that infamous sideways grin. "Listen to me, okay, Hiro? That appointment just took a lot out of me that's all. I'll be fine got it?"

Tadashi's voice never wavered, However, Hiro knew his brother well and couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't being completely honest.

"You promise?" Hiro asked abruptly, a skeptical eyebrow raised.

Tadashi stiffened, swallowing thickly though never pulling his gaze away from the boy in front of him. "I…," he began, hesitating for a moment as he felt his heart tighten in his chest. He didn't want to lie to Hiro any more than he already had but… but he couldn't tell him yet. This was not his problem to figure out, and Tadashi didn't want any worrying when it wasn't necessary.

"I promise." For once in his life, saying those words actually felt wrong. They almost stung, leaving a sour taste in his mouth, and the genuine look of trust swimming in Hiro's eyes was making it worse. Tadashi always made it a point to keep his promises, no matter how big or how small and could proudly say he's done a good job at keeping them over the years.

However, he couldn't help the nagging feeling in his gut telling him that this time he just might not be able to hold true to his words.

"Alright...if you say so Tadashi," Hiro commented, brushing his brother's hand off of his shoulder. "Now hurry up. Aunt Cass has breakfast waiting for you downstairs, and she told me to tell you if you don't get down there soon she's going to kick your butt into next week."

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><p>Tadashi had gotten to class just in the nick of time, which was good considering he knew getting on the professor's bad side was never something someone should aspire to do. Especially not on the first day.<p>

It didn't take long to arrive at SFIT, and once at the Institute he quickly made his way down the large hallways and toward his homeroom. Picking a seat in the back of the classroom, Tadashi immediately pulled out his books and supplies. Class started shortly after, and seemed to drawl on longer than necessary for the newly found college student. Despite how excited he had previously been about his robotics class, he couldn't help the way he would drift off every few minutes or so. He just couldn't seem to catch his focus, only truly getting every other word of what the professor was saying. The only thing he seemed to be able to focus on being the ever present sound of the clock ticking on the wall. The college student sighed heavily at the irony.

Time.

Something he wasn't even sure he had much left of, yet it seemed to be all he was able to emphasize on. Tadashi soon found an alarming amount of anger bubbling in him with every painstaking minute that passed by. Why was he even here? Shouldn't he be at home? With Hiro, with Aunt Cass? What was the point of any of this? Tadashi felt his jaw clench as he fiddled endlessly with the pencil between his fingers.

He let his eyes close for a moment, sighing deeply, though not too loud to disturb the class. He knew it was too soon to start thinking that way, and that the dark thoughts swimming in his mind weren't healthy. He needed to keep things positive, keep up the enthusiasm he normally had when it came to education or anything else for that matter.

"Alright class. That's it for today." Came the voice of his professor. Tadashi's eyes suddenly shot open, just in time to see the hordes of other students begin exiting the room. Slight regret settled in the the twenty year old's gut, somewhat angry with himself for letting an entire class go by without a single word sinking in.

Sighing once more, Tadashi grabbed his books and began making his own leave. Although much like with his classes, he wished he would have been paying better attention. The poor man barely got his foot out the door when he felt himself collide with something. Or rather someone.

A startled yelp was heard, and Tadashi winced as he felt scolding liquid seep through his clothing.

"Oh gosh, I'm so, so sorry!" came an apologetic voice.

Groaning, Tadashi futilely tried to wipe away the stain, though it seemed to have already made it quite comfortable on his cardigan. "No, its fine. It's not your fault I should have been watching where I was-"

Looking up from his soiled sweater, the robotics student suddenly found the inability to speak. Bright green eyes met with his own, and Tadashi felt blush invading his cheeks. "Going…" came his late finish.

"No, don't say that! I was the one carelessly lounging in front of the door." The girl in front of him smiled softly, brushing a strain of blonde hair from her face and behind her ear. She was tall, rocking a pair of platform heels that forced Tadashi to tilt his view slightly upwards.

"Here, let me help you," she said in a kind and gentle tone, grabbing some tissue paper from her purse. The girl quickly began patting Tadashi down, obviously trying her hardest to get out the stain. Meanwhile Tadashi, suddenly frozen by her contact, had to swallow the nervous lump that suddenly formed in his throat.

"Um, I-it's fine honestly. I have a ton more of these things at home." Tadashi winced slightly as he realized just how dorky that sentence sounded.

Sighing in defeat, the girl took a few steps back, a regretful expression on her face. "Again, I'm really sorry."

"I-it's fine," he said once again, flashing her a reassuring grin. "Honestly."

"I'm Aiko, by the way," she introduced, trying to break the awkwardness with a small smile. "Aiko Miyazaki."

Tadashi unconsciously raised an eyebrow. She appeared to be someone of Spanish decent, yet her name was obviously Japanese. The twenty year old soon found himself categorizing her entire appearance. She was slender, and wore an extremely frilly pink dress that cut just above her knee. She also wore bright pink glasses that seemed to highlight her rather astounding cheek bones…

Aiko cleared her throat, and Tadashi blushed as he realized he'd been silent the whole time. "Oh, um, I'm Tadashi. Tadashi Hamada."

"Oh, right! I remember seeing you in lab orientation. You're in robotics engineering, right? With Professor Callaghan?"

"Yep, that's me," Tadashi replied with a sheepish grin. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling rather embarrassed that she remembered him, yet he didn't have the decency to return the favor.

"I just admire the heck out of that guy don't you?" Aiko suddenly gushed. "I mean it's hard enough in this field as it is, but to be _blind_ and still come out as one of the most prestige professors in his nation! It just goes to show that you can do anything you set your mind to."

Tadashi smiled slightly. That was one of the many reasons he wanted to apply at SFIT. He had admired Callaghan ever since he was a boy, and it wasn't just for his shared love on robotics. Professor Callaghan never seemed to let his disability get in the way of his teachings, and no doubt had to go through a lot of trials and tribulations to get where he was today. That within its self was enough to earn Tadashi's respect, and the moment he started grade school had made sure he put 115% into everything he did.

"Yeah, he is pretty remarkable," Tadashi said sadly, his gaze suddenly meeting with the floor as the dark thoughts started making their way back to his head.

Was he even going to be able to graduate? Would he even still be able to attend school?

Tadashi frowned slightly, the burning questions refusing to go away.

Apparently noticing his unhappy expression, Aiko cleared her throat again, pushing her pink glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "Um, hey, why don't you let me treat you to some coffee or something? There's a café right here in the institute."

Tadashi glanced up at her, an eyebrow raised. "Aren't I the one who made _you_ spill your drink in the first place?" he stated with a chuckle, placing his hands in his pants pockets. "I think I'm the one who owes you something."

Aiko placed a hand to her chin as if in deep thought. "True," she admitted, "but at least I came out unscathed. You're the one who is out of a very nice sweater."

"I suppose that's true."

Aiko giggled brightly. "So, Whatta Ya say?" she bit her lip, a hopeful look plastered on her face. A look almost impossible to say no to.

"Sure," Tadashi agreed finally, a genuine smile playing across his lips. "I could honestly use a bit of a pick me up right now."

The blonde let out an excited yelp, practically jumping on her heels. "Yay! Come one, the café here makes some really good tea!" grabbing his arm, Aiko began making her way down the hallways. Tadashi didn't protest to the contact, but happily followed suit, trying to keep up with her rather bouncy movement.

Getting a drink at a school café might have been a small gesture, but to the young college student, it actually made his day just a little less dark.

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><p><strong>annnnd we're done. Well, I hope you guys enjoy what I'm doing here. I'm trying to add a bit of lightheartedness to the story along with the more painful parts. Unless, of course, you guys like non-stop gut punching angst? which if so i suppose I could try making it that way...<strong>

**anyway if you haven't noticed two characters have made an appearance in this chap. Aiko (aka honey lemon) and Professor Callaghan. which yes you read correct.**

**who yes you read correct.**

**is blind.**

**i have my reasons so just bare with me here ^^"**

**And lastly, just wanna be clear and say romance probably won't be a huge part of this story. (sorry tadahoney fans) honestly honey lemon is just the easiest for me to write for some reason, and if anything she is just going to be a little ray of light for Tadashi's dark road ahead ^^**

**so that's it for now! please leave a review and let me know what you think, I reading what you guys have to say. =D**


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